


In the Zone

by iLurked



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Written pre 1x16
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-07
Updated: 2014-04-07
Packaged: 2018-01-19 11:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1467829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iLurked/pseuds/iLurked
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ward finds himself in the zone: in the friend zone, that is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Zone

Fitz was so used to Ward’s presence in the lab while Simmons try to fix whatever it was that’s wrong with him. That was why Fitz mostly ignored Ward seated in the lab being ministered to by Simmons one afternoon. 

Then, Fitz did a double-take. Frowned. Reconsidered. 

"Agent Ward?" he called out. 

No answer.

"You were fine this morning, weren’t you?" Fitz pressed. 

Simmons, knowing that Fitz wouldn’t be able to let the matter go, sighed. “He was.”

"And between breakfast and right now," Fitz mused out loud. "We weren’t attacked, invaded, or hijacked, weren’t we?"

"No." a muscle in Ward’s jaw ticked. 

"So, what’s with the black eye?"

Neither Ward nor Simmons gave an answer.

Fitz frowned, then noted not only the black eye, but also the ice bag on Ward’s lap and the guilty look on Simmons’ face.

"Holy moly," Fitz breathed, impressed. "The Frat Boy Protocol?"

The wince Simmons tried so hard to quell and the beetling of Ward’s brows were answer enough.

Fitz laughed, then abruptly cut himself off when he realised what must have happened for Simmons to go on the defensive like that. He stalked angrily towards where Ward was sitting. (Fitz would have grabbed the specialist’s collar had he been wearing a shirt. Which he was not, and that only added to Fitz’s anger.)

"What did you do?" Fitz demanded from the man who could shoot a flea at five hundred yards as long as it’s not windy.

"Fitz," Simmons intervened before one of the two men (well, Fitz) got hurt. "It’s fine. It was an accident."

"But he—"

"Get out." were Ward’s first words to Fitz.

Fitz frowned and crossed his arms, prepared to defend Simmons (and her honour) to his last breath. “No.”

"Fitz," Simmons bit her lip, seemingly undecided for a moment before a look of firm resolve crossed her face. "Please? I’ll explain later."

Fitz locked on the face of his oldest friend, trying to read her expression. What he saw must have satisfied him because with one final glare at Ward, he stalked out of the laboratory.

"Sorry about that." Simmons muttered as she brought out another ice pack, this one for Ward’s face. She had just finished cleaning the area before Fitz barged in.

"What are you sorry about?" Ward asked. "Fitz, or my injuries?"

Simmons’ nose scrunched up adorably. “Either. Both. Take your pick.” she shrugged.

"Where did you learn those moves, anyway? I’ve been trying to teach Skye but," he trailed off with a frustrated sigh. Whether that sigh was for his wayward rookie or for the situation, Simmons had no idea.

"The Chmerkovskiy brothers were my training officers when I tried to get field certification," Simmons replied. "They told me that I can forget everything else they taught me, but not that, as that may save my life some day."

Of course Simmons would know the Chmerkovskiy brothers. They were identical twins who get called in by SHIELD for clean up when everything else was falling apart. Russians, built like tanks, and both able to kill a man with a single strike, Ward had no doubt that the two of them were putty in Jemma’s hands.

"So," Ward rubbed the back of his neck, having exhausted his capacity for small talk.

"So," Jemma moved closer to him and placed the ice pack on his face. "I really am sorry for hitting your face with my head. And for kneeing your testicles."

Ward winced as his hand protectively cradled the ice pack on his lap. He was just thankful that Jemma remembered herself before she could finish the entire litany of moves the Chmerkovskie brothers no doubt drilled into her until they became muscle memory.

"I’m also sorry for trying to kiss you." he told her sincerely. There. The elephant in the room was finally addressed.

"But that’s no excuse for what I did." Jemma’s stricken eyes finally met his. "It’s just that you surprised me."

"I thought you were finally giving me signals." Ward finally admitted. "I must have misunderstood."

"Signals?" Jemma asked in confusion. "For what?"

"Signals that you were as interested in me as I was to you. Because you are attracted to me, aren’t you?"

"What?" Jemma gaped in shock. "Why would I send signals? I mean, not that I don’t find you attractive because you’re all big and firm and the first thing you usually do before going to the lab is to remove your shirt. Um," she cleared her throat. "What were we talking about?"

"I think," Ward said slowly. "We were talking about why you won’t give me signals even if you find me attractive."

"Because, Agent Ward," Jemma answered with an offended sniff. "That would be against the code."

"You mean SHIELD protocols? Because—"

"Not the SHIELD protocol." Jemma rolled her eyes at Ward’s obtuseness. "The Girlfriend Code."

"The Girlfriend Code?" Ward frowned. Jemma might as well be speaking Hokkien, which was not included in the six languages Ward knew. 

"Yes. I can’t give you signals," Jemma told him righteously. "Or kiss you. Or admire your well-formed body, however temptingly displayed it is before me."

"Why not?" a frustrated hand tunnelled through his thick hair.

"Because you slept with Agent May! And are in love with Skye! What kind of friend would I be if—"

"Wait." Ward actually put up a hand to stop her from talking and confusing him further. "First, what I had with May was personal. And it was between two consenting adults who needed a release but without any strings attached."

Ward did not see Jemma roll her eyes.

"Second," Ward bit out. "I am not in love with Skye."

Jemma snorted.

"I’m not!" Ward insisted.

"You killed a man in cold-blood for her. A helpless quadriplegic. Who could have given us information had we taken him alive."

"I would have done the same for any of you!" Ward erupted. "Also I was not in a good place mentally then."

"Because?"

"I was just dumped by May!" Ward suppressed a wince. So maybe his affair with May was not without strings as he thought. Then again, he had been through a lot of things then that were better shoved back at the back of his head.

Jemma raised an eyebrow, as if to say, I rest my case.

"Fine. But I don’t see what that has to do with us." 

"It’ll be weird." Jemma admitted. "You having had feelings for all of us. Also, the Chmerkovskiy brothers warned me about this. They said that you may, uh, how did they put it? Oh! Nail! Nail all the females in this Bus. They also told me that if that happens, they would be forced to murder you."

"They actually warned you about me?"

"They warned me against Fitz and Coulson, too, if that makes you feel better."

It didn’t, but Ward couldn’t blame them for trying to protect someone as precious as Jemma.

He sighed, removed the ice pack on his lap and Jemma’s hand on his face. He set aside the icepacks then took both of her hands in his. “I respect that. I also respect your decision to adhere to the Girlfriend Code.”

"But—"

"No. Please let me finish, then we’ll never have to speak of this again."

He waited until Jemma nodded.

"My disastrous dating history aside," he said, smiling at Jemma’s amused grin. "I like you. I like being with you. I never understood the phrase bringing sunshine wherever one goes until I met you.”

Jemma blushed and bit her lip, but did not say a word. 

"Maybe some day in the future, when the Girlfriend Code doesn’t matter so much," he looked deep into her beautiful, wonderful eyes. "Maybe you’ll give me a chance."

Jemma smiled at him shyly and nodded once. 

"That’s all I ask." Ward released her hands. "Thank you for the first aid, doctor." he jumped down from his perch and made his way out of the room, masking the twinge in his groin with pure masculine bravado so as not to ruin his exit.

"Agent Ward?"

Ward turned back around hopefully.

"Thanks." she said simply. "And the Chmerkovskiy brothers also taught me never to kiss on a first date. So maybe you’d like to take me out for dinner first and then we’ll see where we can go from there?"

Ward felt the corner of his lips lift up. “I’d love nothing more.”

**Author's Note:**

> From Thea/jemward's prompt: Jemma accidentally gives Ward a black eye.


End file.
